IndyCar announces charter system, sets rule regarding Indy 500
As the NASCAR Cup Series gets ready to enter the second decade of its charter system, IndyCar is following suit. Charters are coming to the open-wheel series that will guarantee a starting spot in every race, except the Indy 500.
When the concept of a charter system was brought up for IndyCar, fans were worried. The Indianapolis 500 has a long and proud tradition of having so much build-up and drama. Practices, qualifying, carb day, all of it. Watching the jubilation and heartbreak of making the field or not making it. A guaranteed spot in the field would ruin that.
That will not change. IndyCar will still have the same procedures for its biggest race of the year. These charters are effective immediately and run through 2031.
Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren, Chip Ganassi Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Team Penske will have three charters each. AJ Foyt Enterprises, Dale Coyne Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, Juncos Hollinger Racing, and Meyer Shank Racing will each have two.
Here is the report via Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal.
Teams cannot have more than three cars each. There are 25 cars among the field. The thought process is that this will help stabilize the sport and give value back to owners just like the NASCAR charter system is designed to do.
Of course, not all of the details are out yet. So, it’s hard to judge it other than what we know right now, and maybe a little compared to how the NASCAR system works. After all, Roger Penske is very familiar with the way those charters have worked, pros and cons, and perhaps that will help make the first charter agreement in IndyCar as fair as it can be for the series and team owners.
IndyCar viewership has been…poor to say the least. With the series moving to FOX next year, with every race on network TV, it’s a big deal to have these charters in place.
IndyCar entering a new era
While everyone wonders about the NASCAR charter holdouts (23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports), IndyCar is getting on with their plans. It is clear that the sport has been on the decline. Not necessarily in talent, but in overall interest from TV audiences.
This is a new era for IndyCar. They are moving from NBC (and the viewership hole that is CNBC) to FOX. All of the races will be on the big FOX channel. I’m not sure how they worked out that deal, but it is one that is sure to boost ratings for races outside of the Indy 500.
The Champ Car and IRL split years ago was a rough time for American open-wheel racing. But watching a unified series wither in the ratings over the last few years has been almost equally as bad.
There are real stars in IndyCar. Pato O’Ward, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Colton Herta, Will Power, and others are super talented. They are among the best in the world. But this sport has to be marketed differently and that all starts with the new charter system and new TV deal in 2025.